Comparative study of sociodemographic, clinical, and criminological characteristics of maternal neonaticide, infanticide, and filicide cases.

PURPOSE: Maternal neonaticide (< 24 h), infanticide (< 1 year), and filicide (> 1 year and < 18 years) refer to the killing of a child by the mother; however, these acts differ substantially in their underlying sociodemographic, clinical, and criminological characteristics. As no previous study has examined these three groups together within a single comparative framework, this research is the first to simultaneously investigate maternal neonaticide, infanticide, and filicide in a large-scale sample to determine their distinct sociodemographic, clinical, and criminological variables. METHODS: Data were retrospectively obtained from cases who underwent forensic psychiatric evaluation at the Department of Psychiatric Observation and the 4th Specialized Board of the Council of Forensic Medicine (CFM) in Türkiye between June 1, 2014, and June 1, 2024. RESULTS: Among 113 cases (28 neonaticide, 35 infanticide, and 50 filicide), women in the neonaticide group were significantly younger and more frequently single and had lower rates of documented psychiatric disorders. The most frequently recorded motive in this group was the child being unwanted. The infanticide group had significantly higher documented rates of severe psychiatric disorders and previous psychiatric treatment. Almost all women in the neonaticide and filicide groups were assessed as having full criminal responsibility, whereas 34.3% of those in the infanticide group were assessed as lacking criminal responsibility. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that maternal neonaticide, infanticide, and filicide are associated with different sociodemographic, psychiatric, and medicolegal patterns. Recognizing these differences may contribute to more informed forensic psychiatric evaluations and may help identify areas relevant to risk assessment and prevention.